Which MasterChef contestants have died? The losses span the US, UK and beyond
The MasterChef format airs in dozens of countries, and over two decades thousands of home cooks have passed through its kitchens. A small number of former contestants have since died — here's who the franchise has lost.
The American series
- Josh Marks — the 7ft 2in Chicago cook was runner-up to Christine Ha in season 3 in 2012. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and he took his own life in October 2013, aged 26. He was the first MasterChef US alumnus to die.
- Beth Kirby — the Tennessee food blogger and photographer, who competed in the US series in the mid-2010s, died of cancer on 20 March 2022, aged 38. She left behind a husband and daughter.
- Matt Gagnon — the Connecticut construction worker and father of two competed in season 11 in 2021, finishing 12th. He died unexpectedly on 15 December 2025, aged 42.
MasterChef Junior
Ben Watkins, from Gary, Indiana, competed on season 6 of MasterChef Junior in 2018 at age 11, having grown up cooking at his family's barbecue restaurant. Between filming and broadcast, he lost both parents in a murder-suicide in September 2017.
Shortly after his 13th birthday he was diagnosed with angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma, an extremely rare soft-tissue cancer, and he died on 16 November 2020 at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, aged 14. Gordon Ramsay called him "an incredibly talented home cook", and the show's tribute described him as a role model for chefs of all ages.
The British series
Matt Campbell, a semi-finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2017, collapsed at the 22.5-mile mark of the 2018 London Marathon — the hottest on record — and died on 22 April 2018, aged 29. He was running for the Brathay Trust in memory of his father, and had completed the Manchester Marathon in under three hours just two weeks earlier.
"It was a privilege to have him on the show," MasterChef said in its statement at the time.
Canada, Indonesia, and the wider franchise
- Jon Hameister-Ries — the former BC Lions offensive lineman reached the top 10 of MasterChef Canada season 2 in 2015. He died on 9 June 2021, aged 37.
- Budi A.M. — the Jakarta restaurant manager withdrew mid-competition from MasterChef Indonesia season 4 in 2015 because of a long-standing stomach problem. He died on 29 January 2021.
The franchise has lost people on the other side of the counter too — most prominently Jock Zonfrillo, the Scottish-born chef who judged MasterChef Australia for four seasons and died in May 2023, aged 46.
For the record: the format has produced well over 60 international versions since the modern revival launched in 2005 — which is why this list, mercifully short, still stretches across four continents.